


don't look back, let's be who we are

by YOONSONGHEE



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Established Relationship, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Nightmares, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:56:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26084560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOONSONGHEE/pseuds/YOONSONGHEE
Summary: Xu Minghao was currently running as if his life depended on it.
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Kudos: 24





	don't look back, let's be who we are

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like half an hour after listening to this version of [psycho](https://youtu.be/X6qlfsK6MgQ) that inspired me to write this fic so it's probably not the best but I hope people still enjoy!

It was late at night, and the sky was so dark one would argue that it had never seen light before. There were no stars in the sky, not even the moon could be seen, the only source of light being artificial and flickering from old rusted streetlights. Not a single person could be seen right now, probably all in the safety of their own homes with their families. Not a single sound could be heard except the incessant sirens going up and down the streets. If anybody was to see this scene, they would run far away- it looked like a brewing place for chaos and bad things.

Yet Xu Minghao was sprinting as fast as he could.

He had been dating Junhui for six months now and he had never been happier.

The older always made sure he felt loved and cared for, always showering him with compliments when they were together and whispering sweet nothings into his ears as he fell asleep. Even when he woke up screeching from nightmares, the elder took it in stride and helped calm him down by trapping him in a warm embrace. Sometimes, Junhui acted playful which made Minghao wonder if he was older than him but it was something he welcomed as it made their dynamic more balanced so that they both felt like equal halves. If you had told him a year ago that he would have found someone who understood him better than anybody else did he would have slapped his hand over your mouth and told you to be quiet before Xiao Jia heard and punished him.

Looking back, he gave a bitter laugh, placing his hands on his knees so that he could catch his breath before he began running again. He couldn’t even consider Xiao Jia his ex-boyfriend as the other never qualified as one in the first place. Now, he understood why people would give him incredulous looks when he talked about his ‘relationship’ and how much he ‘loved’ him. What did he love about him? The way he would come back to their shared apartment reeking of alcohol and the scent of another? How he left handprints and bruises on Minghao’s body until the younger pleaded with him for mercy? Or perhaps it was how after every loveless encounter, Xiao Jia would press his slimy lips to Minghao’s forehead and promise it would never happen again that this was normal for them and it was just how their relationship worked.

There was one single moment of his relationship with Xiao Jia that he cherished with all his heart, however. When Junhui helped him pack all of his clothes and belongings into a single suitcase, how Junhui encouraged him to smash glasses all over the floor of the apartment, to topple over furniture and let out his anger at the hell he had suffered. How Junhui took his hand afterwards and laced together their fingers as he walked far away from both his abuser and his abusive relationship. 

One would think the story would end with the death of the relationship.

Instead, nine months after he left Xiao Jia, they met once again, this time in the alley behind the convenience store.

All the terror and fear he had felt throughout their relationship came creeping back up as he grabbed Minghao’s wrist and dragged him no matter how loud he screamed and how hard he fought back. Eventually, Xiao Jia got tired of how distraught he was and shoved the younger up against the wall of the alleyway, grabbing his face painfully to force him to look his past abuser in the eye.

“Minghao darling, I promised you that I wouldn’t punish you again, that I would treat you right, didn’t I? But instead, you ran away, you left me behind! It’s time to pay for that darling.”

Once again Minghao cried out, his body slumping to the floor as he stared up still trying to find a way out of the older’s grip, trying to find his way back to Junhui. He looked around, for anybody, anything that could help him. Bile crept up his throat at the thought of going back to the hell he was living in before his life with Junhui. The streetlamp flickered once again, bringing his attention to a glinting piece of glass on the ground about the size of his hand with jagged edges. Looking between the glass and Xiao Jia, he realised that the man was no longer paying attention simply laughing as he muttered angrily. Mustering up all the anger and courage he had, Minghao reached for the piece of glass.

\---

Minghao ran the last few metres to get to his and Junhui’s apartment, as the weight of the situation finally hit him and his mind went fuzzy. The next couple of moments were a blur when he finally came back to his senses, his face was wet with tears and his body was shaking with nerves. Blinking a few times, he saw his face in the mirror shocked at how pale and sick his skin looked contrasting with his red bloodshot eyes. Feeling a slight skin on his hands, he looked down to see Junhui applying rubbing alcohol to the cuts on his hands and bandaging them up. He watched as the older patched him up with care before standing and helping Minghao himself stand up as well.

“Come on baby, let’s get you to bed,” Junhui whispered gently leading him to their bedroom.

“Wait, Junnie,” Minghao choked out “Xiao Jia, he- I didn’t mean to-”

“Shush Hao,” Jun turned to face the younger using his hands to cup Minghao’s face before he placed a soft kiss on his forehead “I know, you told me when you first came in, but you were out of it so you might not remember.”  
“Junnie,” Minghao cried out quietly “What’s going to happen now?”

“Nothing,” Junhui’s voice remained quiet as though speaking any louder would break the both of them “You were with me the whole night Hao, you didn’t leave the house.”

“They’re gonna find me-”

“No, they won’t Hao. You broke the glass after so it cannot be used as evidence. Nobody saw you because you decided to go shopping at basically midnight. And you have an alibi. Me.”

“You will just get in trouble as well!” 

Minghao was slowly returning to his distraught state, stuttering when he tried to speak. Junhui brought him close to his body, moving the younger’s head so that it was buried into his shoulder. Shuddering, Minghao inhaled the protective, homey scent of his boyfriend before wrapping his arms tightly around Junhui’s waist desperate for comfort. 

“Nothing is going to happen to you Minghao. I promise you that and I will never go back on my promises.”

Minghao burst into tears once again, exhausted by all that had happened in such a short time. He didn’t stop crying until Junhui laid him down on their shared bed, once again whispering sweet nothings into his ears while he stroked his hair, pecking his temple to try and soothe him enough so he could fall into a deep slumber. Eventually, he fell asleep under Junhui’s watchful gaze, darkness overtaking him as all thoughts about what went down in the alleyway slipped away.

The next day, Junhui made breakfast for Minghao, worried that his boyfriend would be too distressed to take care of himself properly. The TV was on and had been turned to the news channel to serve as background noise as the two of them ate. On the news, the news anchor had a solemn look on her face as she relayed recent events.

“Early this morning, a man in his mid-twenties was found dead in the alleyway behind a convenience store. He was found by the owner when they were taking out the trash and appeared to have been murdered. Police can confirm he was stabbed to death and was left to bleed out, but people are speculating that the murderer would not be found due to lack of evidence as...”

Junhui turned down the volume, a serious look on his face as he heard all that he needed to hear. He then turned back to Minghao who looked relieved at the last statement of the news anchor.

“So,” Junhui clapped his hands together “Should I wash the dishes or should you?”


End file.
